


Peter Parker, College Drop-out

by onesp1cyboi (fukmylyf)



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Mentions of Skip Westcott, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Tony Stark Has A Heart, also i hvnt written in ages pls go easy on me, im gonn murder skip with my bare hands, im highkey projecting and regret nothing, this is my first time writing fic for this fandom sooo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-19
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-08-04 08:58:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16343795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fukmylyf/pseuds/onesp1cyboi
Summary: College is slowly killing Peter. Tony helps.





	Peter Parker, College Drop-out

Someone was knocking on the door of Peter’s shitty little dorm. He didn’t really want to answer, at all, because his lumpy bed was comfortable and he had no reason to be up. 

 

Well, that wasn’t quite true. He had class… about 40 minutes ago, and if he left now he might’ve still had a chance to catch the end of that lecture, but he wasn’t interested. The knocking grew a little more frantic. Peter curled a little tighter, dragging his pillow over his head. 

 

“Kid? You ok?” 

 

Oh no. It was Tony. Peter threw his blanket off, ripped his curtains open (let out a string of soft curses at the bright light that burnt his eyes), kicked the pile of laundry he’d been neglecting the last… 3 months under his bed, to join neglected laundry from 4 months ago, and shoved a toothbrush in his mouth. He only remembered toothpaste existed when he pulled the door open.

 

“I need to brush my teeth,” he said around the brush. Tony looked thoroughly unimpressed. 

 

“I can wait. We need to talk, kid.” Oof. Peter didn’t like the way Tony said kid. If he was going to be completely honest, he was slightly terrified. 

 

“Oh. Ok.” He moved into his room, and Tony pushed past him to sit at his desk. His desk which was a mess of half-completed assignments Peter had long since given up on. Peter turned his back to his mentor to brush his teeth in his dirty mess of a sink, not wanting to face Tony. His room was a painful reminder of how far he’d fallen since he’d started his course, and he didn’t need to see Tony’s reaction to it. 

 

He gargled, spat, reached for a towel only to remember he’d dropped it in the pile that was mostly under the bed about a week ago, and wiped his mouth with the t-shirt he’d been wearing for the past 3 weeks. 

 

He turned around. Tony looked… disappointed. Peter sucked in a sharp breath, trying very hard to ignore the fact that Tony’s expression made his chest ache and tears prick at his eyes. 

 

“I would’ve tidied up if I knew you were coming over,” Peter mumbled, sitting down on his bed. He pulled his legs up, wrapped his arms around them, hoped he could shield himself physically from whatever Tony had to say to him. 

 

“That’s what you said last time I came over, Pete.” A pause, then a sigh. “What’s up?”

 

… He had prepared for a lecture. This was decidedly not that. “What?”

 

“Your life looks like it’s falling apart, Peter, you look like you haven’t slept in a week, yet I know for a fact you haven’t been going to classes or working overtime on your patrol, so what is it?” 

 

“You’ve been keeping track of my class attendance? Tony, I’m not 5.” 

 

“No, you’re not, but May got worried because she said she heard from Ned that you haven’t left your room except to go on patrol in the last month.” 

 

Peter winced. That wasn’t… inaccurate. “Why didn’t May text me or something, then?” 

 

“How many times has she asked you if you’re free to meet up for dinner?”

 

“Oh.”  _ Ouch. _

 

“You know, kid, for a super genius, you sure are a dumbass sometimes.”

 

“Thanks.” Peter was regretting getting up. In fact, he was regretting ever making the choice to exist and be alive and take up space. May deserved better than him. Tony and Ned did, too. And MJ. Basically everyone he knew. “Is there a point to this?”

 

“We can help, you know? You just need to tell us… tell us what’s wrong. Just talk to us, Pete.” 

 

Peter snorted, barely choking down a giggle. What was wrong, sure, because that could be pinpointed down to one or two solvable problems. It was getting harder to keep himself from crying, and he curled up tighter, sliding backward on his bed until he could feel the wall press hard against his spine. 

 

“I don’t know what’s wrong,” he mumbled, voice muffled by his legs and the sobs he was trying to hold back. His throat hurt. 

 

He heard a shuffle, felt his bed dip as Tony sat down next to him. He placed a hand on Peter’s knee. 

 

“Deep breaths, kiddo, let’s start from the beginning. When did your room start getting like this?” 

 

“About… I don’t. 5 months ago.” 

 

“Ok, did anything happen 5 months ago that you want to talk to me about?” 

 

Peter thought. Hard. 5 months ago… what happened? It hit him like a ton of bricks, and he gasped, a couple tears finally escaping. “Oh.” 

 

Tony moved towards the wall and leaned against it beside Peter. He gingerly placed an arm around Peter’s shoulder. “You don’t have to tell me what it was, ok?” 

 

Peter nodded, curling into Tony’s side. “It was- Skip’s release date. I didn’t know it was going to… I didn’t know it was making me spiral.”

 

Tony pulled Peter in close, rubbing his back. “I know, Pete. Trauma’s a bitch.” 

 

Peter snorted wetly. “No kidding.”

 

“‘S there anything else?”

 

Peter hummed in thought. He pulled away from Tony a little, peering up at the man’s face. “I sort of… want to drop out.” 

 

Tony wanted to say he tried his hardest to not look completely horrified at the decision. He didn’t do very well, though, judging by the way Peter winced and recoiled, pulling completely away from Tony and curling up with his back pressed hard against the wall again. 

 

“What, uh… what?” Tony managed to ask, schooling his expression so it was more shocked than horrified. 

 

Peter shrugged. “Forget it.” 

 

“No, kid, listen-” Peter curled up more, turning away from Tony. “Kid. Peter. Look at me.”

 

Peter did  _ not _ want to do that. He couldn’t explain why he wanted to drop out, and he knew that Tony wouldn’t understand, either. Tony thought Peter was  _ like _ him. Everyone did. There was a reason his nickname around the Avengers compound was ‘little Stark.’ But… 

 

“I already- I have a job I’m happy with, and this… this isn’t what I want to do with my life, Tony,” he said softly, uncurling slightly, falling into a more comfortable decision. He rested his cheek on his knee, turning to look at Tony. 

 

“Your… your job at the Bugle?” Tony still looked bothered by the idea. He always figured Peter would take over Stark Industries, but if Peter wasn’t even interested in finishing his degree… “What changed?”

 

“I did.” Peter shrugged, turning to face Tony completely, sitting cross-legged on the mattress. “I grew up. I used to… I wanted to do something to make you and May proud, but- this isn’t- it’s not what I want to do.” 

 

Tony nodded. “Ok… ok, yeah. You know you’ll make us proud no matter what you choose to do, right?” 

 

Peter felt his face grow warm. “You’re not upset?” 

 

“No, kid, I’m not. When did you figure this out, though?”

 

“Um… About 6 months ago.”

 

Tony shook his head, laughing. “Of course you sat on it for this long. Jesus, Pete, come here.” 

 

Peter moved back over to where Tony was sitting, dropping his head on Tony’s shoulder. “I should call May and tell her…”

 

“Considering how long it’s been since you saw her in the flesh, I’m thinking you should just head over there now.” 

 

“Yeah, sure. In a second.” 

 

“Can’t invite her over here, pretty sure she’d have a heart attack at how awful your room is.” 

 

“ _ Tony _ .” Peter huffed, jabbing an elbow into Tony’s side. “If you want to leave-” 

 

Tony elbowed Peter back. “Not happening, kid, haven’t seen you in weeks. Although I definitely want to get out of this dump you call a room.” 

 

Peter laughed, nodding. He hopped off the bed into a clean-ish circle of space on his floor, while Tony slowly scooted off the mattress, struggling to find somewhere to put his feet down. Peter helped him stand, and Tony took advantage of him being off-balance to pull him into a hug. Peter let out a small laugh, wrapping his arms around Tony. 

 

“If you don’t let go of me, I  _ will _ start crying,” Peter said, voice muffled by Tony’s shoulder, fingers buried in his jacket. Tony stepped back as if he’d been burned, yelping, making Peter giggle in response, although he quickly raised a hand to scrub at his eyes. 

 

“Th-there’s a pretty good pizza place like 15 minutes from here…” Peter suggested, moving towards the door. Tony kicked a pizza box out of the way as he followed. 

 

“Really? I couldn’t tell.” Peter elbowed him again, holding the door open for Tony, breathing a small sigh of relief. He would be ok… this would work out. 

**Author's Note:**

> hewwo i hvnt written in ages this isnt beta-d so like lemme kno if u find any mistakes yeah


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